We’ve been pretty blown away by Gov. Ralph Northam the last few days. After people reacted in horror to his comments about infanticide during a radio interview, Northam tweeted that it was “shameful and disgusting” that people would mischaracterize his words — by quoting them.

And then came the yearbook photo apparently showing him either in blackface or a Klan hood, and he called that photo disgusting. However, as Twitchy has reported, he said at a 2:30 p.m. news conference at the governor’s mansion that he was not going to resign, not even over the time he remembers dancing in blackface.

So Northam, who had appeared to have apologized Friday night for being in the picture, now says it’s not him, and he’s not going to take the “easy” route and resign, as so many Republicans and Democrats have called on for him to do. Stepping down would be easy; he’s choosing the difficult road of staying in office and having “honest conversations” about race.

Defiantly, Ralph Northam says he cannot "in good conscience" resign because it would avert an "honest conversation" about racism. He says resigning would be too easy an out: "The person I was is the not man I am today. I am asking for the opportunity to earn your forgiveness."

What a guy. He doesn’t want to duck responsibility for the photo and resign, but accept responsibility and keep his job.

"I cannot in good conscience choose the path that would be easier for me," says Northam in refusing to resign. Yes, you heard that right. He's trying to paint clinging to power as an act of moral courage.

Well damn, the guy actually did us all a favor by (not?) appearing in that yearbook photo, because it’s jump-started that difficult conversation on race that Eric Holder accused us all of being too afraid to have.

Did we mention that Northam then pivoted to the dark history of the governor’s mansion and all of the portraits of slave owners that hang there? Way to deflect, my dude.

Standard disgraced politico playbook.

They're never doing it for themselves; they're staying true to their oath or their constituents.

He could perhaps earn forgiveness (eventually) if he resigns. This gross display of lies just shows he isn’t concerned about anyone else but himself. He’s not used to being held responsible for his racism. He thinks he can squirm out of this. REVOLTING